Lewis acid mechanism epoxidation

Alkenes can be transformed into epoxides by hydroperoxides and a catalyst, which often is a high-valent titanium or molybdenum complex acting as a Lewis acid. The mechanism is not clear in great detail in Figure 2.34 a suggested mechanism is given. Coordination of the alkene to the metal prior to attack of the electrophilic oxygen is not considered as a necessary step. 

Mechanisms for polymerization of epoxides by Lewis acids are proposed in References 11—15. 

Carbonylative kinetic resolution of a racemic mixture of trans-2,3-epoxybutane was also investigated by using the enantiomerically pure cobalt complex [(J ,J )-salcy]Al(thf)2 [Co(CO)4] (4) [28]. The carbonylation of the substrate at 30 °C for 4h (49% conversion) gave the corresponding cis-/3-lactone in 44% enantiomeric excess, and the relative ratio (kre ) of the rate constants for the consumption of the two enantiomers was estimated to be 3.8, whereas at 0 °C, kte = 4.1 (Scheme 6). This successful kinetic resolution reaction supports the proposed mechanism where cationic chiral Lewis acid coordinates and activates an epoxide. 

Treatment of benzaldehydes with ethyl diazoacetate and a catalytic quantity of the iron Lewis acid [ -CpFe(CO)2(THF)]+BF4 yields the expected homologated ketone (80). However, the major product in most cases is the aryl-shifted structure (81a), predominantly as its enol tautomer, 3-hydroxy-2-arylacrylic acid (81b). This novel reaction occurs via a 1,2-aryl shift. Although the mechanism has not been fully characterized, there is evidence for loss of THF to give a vacancy for the aldehyde to bind to the iron, followed by diazoacetate attachment. The product balance is then determined by the ratio of 1,2-aryl to -hydride shift, with the former favoured by electron-donating substituents on the aryl ring. An alternative mechanism involving epoxide intermediates was ruled out by a control experiment. 

Jacobsen and coworkers discovered that chiral salicylimidato transition metal complexes activate epoxides in a stereoselective manner. The published mechanism indicates that one Cr° (salen)-N3 with (/ ,/ )-cyclohexyl backbone acts as Lewis acid and coordinates to the oxygen of PO, while a second catalyst molecule transfers the azide to the activated epoxide and thus opens the ring. The coplanar arrangement of the two chromium complexes prefers one enantiomer of PO and so induces stereochemical information [99,100, 121-129]. (cf. also Sect. 8.3) (Fig. 42). 

The same Pt species that epoxidize double bonds are active in Baeyer-ViUiger oxidation of ketones. Strukul has shown that this synthetically interesting process can be carried out also enantioselectively, in the presence of appropriate diphosphine ligands For this reaction a mechanism has been proposed that involves again a quasi-peroxo metallacycle intermediate, even though in this reaction the metal catalyst plays primarily the role of a Lewis acid while the real oxidant is H2O2 itself (Scheme 9). 

In the past few years the use of aluminum alkyls as catalysts for cyclic ether polymerizations has received much attention. Two different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the catalytic activity of the aluminum alkyl catalysts. Saegusa, Imai, and Furukawa (75) suggest that a cationic mechanism is produced. They feel it is not related to the coordinate anionic mechanism presumed to take place with related catalyst systems used for aldehydes and epoxides. They propose that the Lewis acid first reacts with adventitious water to form a Bronsted acid. ... 

The proposed mechanism of the isomerization of polyfluorooxiranes to ketones does not involve a 1,2-fluorine shift, but rather coordination of the Lewis acid with the epoxide oxygen, ring opening to the carbocation, and intermolecular addition and elimination of fluoride.29 45... 

Since the metal-alkene association preceding the peroxymetalation reaction in mechanism (B) is a pure Lewis acid/Lewis base interaction, it would be expected that compounds having alkylperoxy groups bonded to a Lewis acid center should be active for the epoxidation of alkenes. This is indeed found for boron compounds, which are active as catalysts for the epoxidation of alkenes by alkyl hydroperoxides.246,247 Isolated boron tris(alkyl peroxides), B(OOR)3, have been shown to epoxidize alkenes stoichiometrically, presumably through alkylperoxyboration of the double bond (equation 76).248... 

The reagent utilized here is BF3OEt2 A possible mechanism for the formation of 5 has Bl VOhb first acting as a Lewis acid to cleave the acetal to enol ether 16 and then activating the epoxide for intramolecular nucleophilic attack by the alkoxide at C-20. In this way the stereochemistry ol the tetrahydrofuran ring in 17 is established. 

A single enantiomer of the epoxide below rearranges with Lewis acid catalysis to give a single enantiomer of product. Suggest a mechanism and comment on the stereochemistry. 

---